As we walk around Paris we can learn something more at every step we take. This plaque appears on the school next door to the Eglise St Severin on rue St Jacques. Nothing more needs to be said.
To the Children who were exterminated.
To the memory of the children, pupils of this school, deported from 1942 to 1944 because they were born Jewish, innocent victims of the barbaric Nazis with the active support of the Vichy government.
They were exterminated in the death camps.
We will never forget them.
I too see these plaques outside various schools in the city, particularly in the Jewish part of the Marais. It’s always a sobering reminder of the not-so-long-ago atrocities of Nazi Europe. Growing up in the US it was easy to glaze over that part of history as something that happened “over there”, but seeing one of these signs in Paris as you see happy innocent kids bouncing out of a school brings it a lot closer to home. By the way, this reminds me again to research this blasted Vichy government and find out what they were all about!
This is what I love about Europe and France – at every step there are these amazing reminders. Vichy – a very complicated situation back then.
I just saw the movie the children of paris which referes to these signs. I highly recomended, very touching and sad. I was visiting some Nazi camps and it is very sad..unbelievable there are still neo-nazis in Germany and other countries.
Thanks Flor for your comment. I must see this movie, it sounds good yet sad.